


Pray for the Funeral

by literati42



Series: Riding in Cars with Cops [1]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Humor, Malcolm's brand of weird, SO MUCH FLUFF, Team Bonding, chosen family, like literally the most possible fluff, this time Gil needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:21:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literati42/pseuds/literati42
Summary: Tag for episode 1x13There was a grave loss that day, and Malcolm was going to mourn the passing.AkaA lighthearted team fic with a side of emotionCan be read as a oneshot or as a companion piece to my story: Riding in Cars with Cops
Series: Riding in Cars with Cops [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623712
Comments: 16
Kudos: 103





	Pray for the Funeral

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to the people who commented they wanted more fluff with a side of emotional team bonding! Here it is. After all, I couldn't let the tragedy of Gil's car go unmarked.
> 
> The title comes from the song Funeral by Band of Horses, and yes it is way too dramatic for this story which I love even more.  
> I want you to know I almost marked this story as containing the death of a major character, but I suppose it was the episode that did. You will be missed, Gil Arroyo's car RIP
> 
> As always follow me on twitter @themythofpsyche
> 
> ***I am taking requests!****

On what otherwise appeared to be a normal Monday morning, JT and Dani both woke to find a text from Bright that simply read: Meet me in Gil’s office first thing. Wear black.

Of course, Dani’s message read from Bright, and JT’s read from “The Skinny Ass Menace.”

“No idea,” Dani said in response to JT’s raised eyebrow as they met outside the office. She showed up wearing black, and JT, of course, showed up in green.

“You didn’t wear black,” Bright said as he appeared beside them. He wore what JT would later describe to his wife as another ridiculous million dollar suit. This one was all black, including the shirt and tie. He also had a black band around his bicep. “No time now,” he said holding up two identical armbands for JT and Dani.

“I am not wearing…what even is that?”

“Historically, black armbands have at times been used to signify such occasions. I thought it would add gravitas.”

“Exactly what is this sort of occasion?” JT asked.

“You okay, Bright?” Dani asked. His eyes had that focus to them that was often unsettling.

“Of course, under the circumstances.”

“And the circumstances are…”

“Bright!” Edrisa’s voice rang out through the hall. She came running over and pulled off her lab coat, revealing a lovely black dress and black heels. She lifted a large bag and shook it. “I got everything you asked for.”

“Of course you brought Edrisa into whatever shit this is,” JT said.

Malcolm nodded as if he was incredibly proud of himself, and knocked on the door. Gil pulled it open immediately looking as if he was about to come out. “Why the hell did you send flowers to my office?” he asked, then seemed to take in the four of them. He frowned. “What…”

“Gil,” Malcolm said, moving past him with purpose. Edrisa followed one step behind, leaving JT and Dani to come in slower.

“…are you doing?” Gil finished. Malcolm looked up at him as Edrisa began to pull black candles out of her bag and light them.

“We are having a funeral.”

“A…funeral?” Gil repeated.

“For your car.”

Gil glared, “You think this is a joke, Bright?’

Bright met his eyes, and Dani saw that complete sincerity that he seemed uniquely able to convey. For someone with as many scars as he had, Bright was shockingly transparent sometimes. Gil must have seen it too because his tension immediately melted. Then Bright pulled out of his messenger bag a framed picture.

Gil, the car, and him as a child no more than 12 or 13. Gil’s arm was around the young Malcolm and they both were smiling.

Malcolm sat the framed photo in the middle of Gil’s desk, surrounded by a circle of Edrisa’s candles.

Gil’s eyes widened and he spoke in a quiet voice. “This is exactly how Jackie did the funeral for Dantès.”

“Who is Dantès?” Dani asked.

“His snake,” Gil said without turning his eyes from Malcolm. Then Gil laughed, a quiet laugh that was equal parts fond, touched, and sad. “Kid.”

“I’m going to say a few words,” Malcolm interrupted. Then before anyone could respond, he folded his hands in front of himself and started. “It is hard to mourn the loss of a home, even if that home has four wheels, but I can say you were home to me. I told the Internal Affairs therapist I had no safe space, but that was a lie. I had you. Thank you for all the stakeouts where I got to sit shotgun, for the time you drove me to college, or for when Gil brought you to pick me up that first day I joined the team. You were a good, loyal car, and in the end, you gave your life for mine.”

Gil laughed, that same laugh that was all manner of emotions at once and grabbed the kid, pulling him in by the shoulder. “You are my favorite kind of crazy, you know that?” he said, and Malcolm smiled a little too.

Edrisa blew her nose, tears that seemed genuine in her eyes.

JT shook his head, but even he knew better than to make a comment that day.

After the “service,” there was a lighter quality to Gil for the rest of the day than there had been since the car was destroyed. It seemed that Malcolm’s surprise, makeshift funeral did the trick, and Gil was able to let it go.

The car was lost in the saving of something infinitely more dear to Gil after all.


End file.
